Matt Ward's new book The High-Five Effect is a groundbreaking business book that will especially be welcomed by seasoned business owners who are still operating from a startup mentality.

Matt begins by discussing the different stages of a business owner's life: survival stage, security stage, discovery stage, and respect stage. He clarifies how to determine what stage you are in and then how to move into the next stage. As an owner of several businesses himself over the last couple of decades, he knows these stages very well. He understands that when we first go into business, we are so desperate that we will say yes to any client and do just about anything to keep their business. He understands how this dedication leads to working long hours, giving up time with family and friends, losing sleep, and ultimately, having our passion and joy for our business decline.

Instead, for Matt, being in business should be about experiencing joy. The book's title reflects that his greatest desire is to experience such a level of joy in his business and in his business relationships that he will want to be high-fiving his clients. But to achieve that goal, a business owner has to shift from being in the survival stage to the respect stage where they learn to respect themselves. They have to come to the same realization that Jason Cutter, business owner and author of the book's foreword, came to. Jason states:

"Over the last two years, I have realized two things: 1) I know I can provide massive value to my client's business, and when I do my job correctly, I should get compensated well for it; and 2) Life is too short to do things you hate. And life will feel really long and painful if you have to do business with people you don't like."

Matt wrote this book to help small business owners have such realizations and then move from a business that creates anxiety and controls them to a more fulfilling business that includes greater joy.